The present invention relates to a fish shaped lure for trolling (artificial bait) used in luring various species of large-size migrant fish such as tuna, marlin, mahi-mahi (commonly called dolphin fish) and bonito to the surface of the water (surface layer) and making them bite the lure.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2009-278953 has disclosed what is called a soft lure mainly used for ocean-going long line tuna fishing by fishermen.
In the above described lure for professional use, a basic configuration thereof is considered to be the publicly known technology which is closest to the present invention on points that the lure is molded with a flexible synthetic resin into a fish shape having a cavity inside, the cavity on the side of a caudal fin in the fish shape is formed as an opening part, and a hook is attached to a line inserted on the side of the opening part in the cavity.
On the other hand, apart from the lure which is used for long-line fishing (professional use) by fishermen disclosed in the above Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2009-278953, Japanese Patent No. 4225395 discloses a lure for pole-and-line fishing used on a beach or a boat by general anglers in which a main body of the fish shaped lure (body) is injection-molded with a soft resin or molded into a transparent or translucent body, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H10-127209 and Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2002-34391 have disclosed that transparent or translucent hemi segments (body halves) are jointed to make a hollow fish shaped lure main body, and Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H10-127208 discloses the surface of a lure main body is made irregular to give hologram processing to convex scale pieces thereof, or a scale piece-like seal to which hologram processing has been given is adhered to a flat surface of the lure main body.
However, since the lure disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-278953 is merely a lure for long-line fishing which is exclusively used by fishermen, a lure (1) has to be sunk down into the sea by a conically-shaped weight (8) attached and fixed to a line (6) via a clamp (9). Therefore, the weight (8) is necessary for keeping the lure (1) in a state so as not to float on the surface of the water (surface layer).
A smell containing member (10) such as a sponge is provided internally between the weight (8) the line (6) of which inserted into a cavity part (la) of the lure (1) and a hook (7), and seawater containing the smell of live bait is scattered little by little into the sea during fishing operation, thereby effectively gathering fish. For this reason, it is necessary to sink the lure (1) in the sea.
Further, the lure disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-278953 is a soft lure made of a flexible synthetic resin. A main body thereof is molded in its entirety in a continuously integrated manner from a head to a caudal fin part of a fish shape. Therefore, there is no other way than to paint the surface thereof (outer circumferential face) to achieve coloring as the same status as that of bait fish (live fish) for fish to be caught, thus resulting in poor weather resistance and wear resistance.
In a soft lure disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4225395, a lure main body (2) thereof is also molded with a soft resin in an integrated manner and baiting ingredients of a baiting body (3) installed therein flows into the water via a part exposed from the lure main body (2), thereby gathering fish. In this sense as well, the soft lure is essentially not different from the lure disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2009-278953 as a lure for bass fishing at a lake and used in a state that the lure sinks into the water.
Further, the soft lure disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4225395 is made of a soft resin and used, with no cavity provided (in a state that the strength is kept), by filling baiting body (3) containing baiting ingredients made of a soft resin into a lure main body (2) so as not to fall down thereinside and, therefore, designed not to be detached from a hook (5).
Next, the lure body (1) disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H10-127209 is considered to be a hard plastic product and unable to exhibit realistic movement of a bait fish in a usage state of being sunk into the water, although it is hollow, not only a reflection board (3) made of metal, plastic or paper but also a line eye (5) for tying a line and a hook hanger (6) or an eye bolt (7) for attaching a hook are installed at a part where body halves (hemi segments) (2), (2) are jointed to each other.
Further, colors or patterns imparted by surface processing of the lure body (1) itself are synergistically influenced by the reflection board (3) which reflects upon receipt of light to obtain fish gathering effects. However, the reflection board (3) is molded into a board by using metal, plastic or paper and also placed inside the lure body (1) along a central part thereof. Thus, even laser processing, plating, metal vapor deposition or painting are performed on the surface of the reflection board (3), the lure body (1) itself becomes what is called a rigid state and therefore, elastic deformation such that a bait fish bends its body or realizes movement such as the bait fish allows a caudal fin to sway laterally cannot be expected.
The lure main body (1) disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-34391 is also a hard synthetic resin product used in a state that it is sunk into the water.
The lure main body (1) is constituted in such a manner that a light-reflecting surface sheet (S1) which is adhered to the surface of the lure main body (1) and a light-reflecting inner sheet (S2) which is adhered to both sides of a board (10) at a central part inside the lure main body (1) are used to emit reflection light effective in gathering fish. Even in this configuration, as with the lure disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H10-127209, the lure main body (1) is unable to undergo elastic deformation or realize swaying movement like a bait fish due to the fact that the board (10) is made of metal or a synthetic resin. Therefore, fish gathering effects of the lure main body is not expected.
Further, the lure body (1) disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H10-127208 is even hollow by jointing a pair of body halves (hemi segments). The lure body (1) is, however, considered to be a hard plastic product which is used by being sunk into the water because it is provided with a hook hanger (2) for attaching a front hook (4) and an eye bolt (3) for attaching a rear hook (5).
Moreover, the convex scale pieces (10) to which hologram processing (12) has been performed are formed on the surface of the lure body (1), while the scale piece-like seal (20) to which hologram processing (12) has been performed is adhered to a flat surface of the lure body (1). Therefore, they are inferior in weather resistance and wear resistance and unable to undergo elastic deformation or realize swaying movement like a bait fish either, thus making it impossible to provide fish gathering effects.
In brief, fish shaped lure for trolling which closely resembles a bait fish for fish to be caught has not been developed in terms of design of the lure main body (external appearance), hardness (quality and texture of material) and movement. The above described fish shaped lure is not yet commercially available.